Secrets
by riga91
Summary: AU   Secrets. Something that everyone has. And everyone has a particular someone they pray will never figure their secret out. What if that someone did figure it out? What if they held it against you?
1. Chapter 1

One word. That was all it took for her world to come crashing down. Cancer. Her mom had cancer. That was the reason she was tired all the time, the reason she had been losing so much weight.

Her dad took of soon after that. He couldn't cope, couldn't deal with watching his wife die slowly. So he just ran. And left gambling debts and medical bills in his wake. Left her with a her sick mother and a 12 year old to take care of. Left her with responsibility a teenager shouldn't even think of.

So she got a job. And another one. Moved out of the apartment they were staying in and into a much smaller one, in a much dodgier part of the city. Changed schools. She had to change schools in the middle of her senior year. And against all odds, she got almost 100% on her college entrance exam. She could study anywhere, be free. But she couldn't, she wouldn't, abandon her family. She refused to be like her father, leave her mom to die alone in a hospital room and Suzuna homeless. So she stayed.

Forgot about her hopes and dreams.

In the fall she would be one of the many faces passing through the halls of Seika College.

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><p>AN: this is my first fanfic ever...It will probably be terrible, riddled with mistakes and full of plotholes. But I'm gonna write it anyway! I have no idea how it'll go, just a general thought on the direction... Please review, you'd be absolutely awesome :)

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><p>I don't own Kaichou Wa Maid-sama! I'm just an obssesed fan :P<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

**Advertisments**

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><p>Seika College was established in the late '70s in the memory of Keigo Seika, an idealistic young man and a graduate from the illustrious Miyabigaoka University.<p>

Keigo was unhappy for most of his college career. He had studied in public schools since middle school, and had dreams of becoming a teacher. His father, however, had other thoughts. Someone had to take over the family business. After many, many, many fights, Keigo reluctantly agreed. He fell into depression quickly but still soldiered on. He hated the people in Migyboku. He was disgusted with their selfishness, their arrogance, their shallowness; something he did not care to keep secret. But he pushed on. He graduated. Unfortunately, he died a few months after graduation in a tragic car crash.

His father was heartbroken, guilty. Guilty for forcing his son to go to a college he despised, forcing him to pursue a career path he didn't want, his last fight with Keigo constantly playing in his mind…Keigo had thrown his certificate on his desk and stormed off, shouting that he did his part, that he didn't want to see his father ever again. Mr. Seika decided that he had to make it up to his son, take at least one step towards fulfilling the dreams Keigo had. A scholarship fund wouldn't cut it. He founded Seika College the next year.

The college was built on the outskirts of the city, with a spacious campus and a football stadium. There were even plans to build a science research centre. For the first few years, Seika prospered…until the city caught up with it. And the outskirts of such a big city became a less attractive place to invest in. After a while, the college was in one of the worst parts of the city and less investors endorsed the project. Less and less students showed up, and more and more equipment got stolen. Seika became a dump. In the end, only people who were out of options attended. Which brings us right back to Misaki.

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><p>After her first few months in Seika, Misaki had a routine down: Go to college, race from part time job to part time job, go to the hospital, go back home and study 'til she passed out. Lather, Rinse, Repeat. Tiring, but necessary. It was one Tuesday morning in the subway when the idea hit her. Literally.<p>

She was running, trying to catch her train, which was about to leave the station, when BAM! she smashed into a businessman carrying a suitcase, a cup of coffee and a newspaper. The paper flew up in her face, and the page in front of her eyes had an ad that read: MaId Agency. After apologizing to the businessman (whose coffee ended up all over the platform) and sitting down (she had missed her train), she read the ad (the businessman was nice enough to leave her the newspaper). It read: **MaId Agency:** _We make your wildest dreams come true!_ next to a picture of an attractive 20-something woman. **'Now hiring'** was written in big yellow letters to the left, and a phone number underneath. It seemed to be a sign. "_We make your wildest dreams come true_". Her wildest dream. That was easy. Money. As in, having enough of it. Working one job in a café across town and another in the local library was time-consuming and exhausting, and in the end she barely made enough money for the rent, let alone the food and the bills. She found herself at times contemplating dropping out, but knew that her mom would never let her, would rather leave the hospital than let her give up on college. Misaki sighed. Well, she had just missed her first lecture. What would it hurt to look into the ad?

She caught the next train, going downtown. After half an hour, she was standing at the entrance of the agency. It was situated in a yellow two-story building that was sandwiched between to two larger buildings.

_It...doesn't look professional...oh well. _

She walked through the doors and up to the receptionist, a good-looking boy with raven black hair, deep brown eyes framed by thick lashes and a look of pure distaste on his face.

"Good morning," she said, "I'm here asking about the ad in The Dai-"

"Rejected," the boy interrupted, sneering. "Go home, you're not hot."

"Aoi! Don't scare people off," a woman with short black hair and a pink t-shirt approached the counter, scolding the rude teenager, "and how many times have I told you not to stand here while Aki's on her break. You'll confuse people." Turning to Misaki, she smiled "Hi. I'm Satsuki Hyoudou and he's Aoi," she gestured at the boy, "my nephew. I'm covering for my brother while he's away… You were asking about the ad, right?"

Misaki was completely confused but somehow had the presence of mind to nod. This place was crazy. "I'm Misaki Ayuzawa."

"Follow me." Satsuki started walking up the stairs.

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><p>An escort agency. MaId agency was an escort agency. While the make-shift manager was explaining, Misaki tried her hardest not to let her shock and disdain show. Satsuki still caught on though. "I know what you're thinking. We're the kind of place that shows up in newspapers, next to the words '<em>scandal<em>' and '_affair_'. But we're not. You'd be surprised how much lonely people are out there, people who just want someone to talk to, someone to listen"

"We're understaffed these days," she continued, "and if you want a job, you've got it. But since we're such a small agency, we don't get a lot of money. You'd probably be offered a few hundred a night."

A few hundred. _A few hundred._ Misaki usually needed a month to make that much. Still…

"So no one has to sleep with anyone?" Not the most articulate way she could put it.

"No."

"I'm in."

And it was that easy. Her first job came a week afterwards. A 34 year old man who wanted to make his ex-wife jealous and figured that the best way to do it would be to show up at their firm's dinner party with a pretty college girl on his arm. She got dressed at the agency (the agency had an array of dresses to choose from) and one of the girls there, Erika, helped her with make-up (of which she was never a fan). By the time she was ready, she could barely recognize herself. She actually looked like a girl.

Misaki spent the night at one of the most beautiful buildings she had ever been in, eating some of the best dishes she had ever tasted and being glared at by one of the most gorgeous woman she had ever seen. She couldn't believe that the guy had divorced her. Neither could he, by the way he was staring at his ex. At the end of the night, after hearing him talk about his ex-wife for hours, Misaki told him to run after her, to talk to her and tell her he still loved her. That his ex-wife still loved him too, if the way she was looking at him was any indication. And he did run, throwing a "thank you!" over his shoulder.

Misaki returned to the agency feeling satisfied. If this was how it was going to be, she could do it.

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><p>She didn't tell her mom where she worked, even though Minako must have suspected something. Misaki didn't want her mom to worry. She had to tell Suzu though. There was more money in the house, more food…and Suzu would have found out eventually, she had a knack of getting Misaki to spill any secret. She had more time to concentrate on her studies, to lift her grades up (they had been slipping recently in her opinion. She was off by 15% on her last exam, an unpleasant first) instead of studying at odd hours in the night.<p>

2 months later, and Misaki had a different routine down: Go to college, go back home: study, sleep, talk with Suzu, go to the hospital and stay with her mother for a while. A few times a week she would go work, whenever she was asked for. She actually had time for herself, time to make friends, time to just laze about… something she didn't have before. _She had friends now!_ She befriended Sakura, a cheerful cheerleader, after a fight had broken out between the cheerleaders and the women's field hockey team over use of the field, and Shizuko, a down-to-earth girl who was with her in a study group.

She was happy.

And so freshman year ended.

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><p>AN: thanks to Aurora Faye 13 and Fannypoosaysomnomnom (lot's of m's, hope I got that right :P) for reviewing, you guys made my day :)

so, this is chapter 2...I went on wikipedia and read about colleges in Japan, and this is as far from reality as it could get, but I had no idea how to write it...so, I'm taking a lot of literary liberty here...anyway, I hope this establishes Misaki as a character, in chap.1 in the manga she just got the job, I think, 'cause there was this scene were she was thinking 'I'm still not used to this job', so I wanted to write about her getting her job and getting used to it...Usui will probably appear next chapter...

please review, criticize...it helps a LOT...

enjoy the rest of your day :)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

**Party**

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><p>When Misaki opened her eyes that morning, she knew it would be a bad day. The kind of day you wish you never got out of bed. First of all, she had overslept, if the lighting in her room was any indication. Turning around and looking at her alarm, which had evidentially died at 3:48 am the night before, she knew she was right. Cursing, she got up and ran into the bathroom. 15 minutes later, she was ready. Well, ready-ish. Her hair was still wet, her socks didn't match and she had no time for breakfast. Suzu had already left for school. Misaki rushed out the door, and down the stairs. She could still make the 8:35 train if she ran. She still couldn't believe she had overslept. It was the first day of the semester, for God's sake! Why hadn't Suzuna woken her?<p>

She barely made it in time for her first lecture. Panting, she crept in, praying that the professor wouldn't comment.

"Late on the first day, Miss …?"

Damn.

"Ayazwa. Sorry, Professor"

She sat down in the last row, next to Sakura. "Hey," Sakura smiled. "Hey." Misaki smiled back, taking out her notebook and pen. "Why are we always stuck with these assholes?" Sakura whispered. Misaki shrugged "I was late. It's ok."

Halfway into the lecture, a blonde guy sauntered into the lecture hall.

"Excuse me?" the professor sneered. "We're almost finished here. You don't have to trouble yourself with this lecture anymore."

"Okay." The guy shrugged, turned around and walked away.

"Does anyone know that trouble-maker's name?" Professor Mikami demanded.

No on answered. Because no one did.

Throughout that day, the only thing any of the students could talk about was the new transfer student. How he was half Japanese, half British. How he had studied in England all his life, how he transferred here to "get back in touch with his roots". How he could speak perfect Japanese, English and French. How he had a black belt in karate. How cute he was (girls talked about this. Well, mostly girls). The only thing going through Misaki's mind was: how the hell did anyone know these things?

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><p>Her last lecture finished at 6 and afterwards she had to go to the agency. A client had asked for her. On her way there, she thought she saw the transfer student, a blonde head in the crowd. She shook her head, putting it down to hearing everyone talk about him for the past few hours, an over-active imagination and an already way-too-long day. When she got to the agency, she was running late. She sighed. Why was it that whenever you oversleep, you're late for everything the rest of the day? She went directly to the changing rooms and ran into Aoi, who always seemed to be around the agency. "Good evening" she figured she could be nice... "Yeah, right" the boy muttered, walking away…not. She sighed, and went to the clothes rack (which was in a suspicious state of disarray). She checked her phone for the message Satsuki sent. The guy's name was Hirofumi Koganei, 21 years old, and she was to meet him in front of the Igarashi building at 8.<p>

The guy needed a date, and he didn't specify what she should wear. Just that it should be formal. She looked dubiously at the many, many dresses that were hung there. What to wear, what to wear? A girl's worst nightmare. She wished the guy had specified. After many (many, many) trails and errors, she finally decided on a knee-length black dress (which was the first one she put on). Accessories, make up…things she would have never thought of if she didn't get this job. She wished that she could be like Erica or Honoka (another girl who worked in the agency), who always seemed to have impeccable make-up on, who always dressed fashionably, who never had a hair out of place. But she had always been a tomboy, preferring to play football and fight with the neighborhood boys than to stay at home and play with dolls. Sighing, she put on small silver studs on her ears and a silver chain necklace. Lipgloss, mascara, blush. Black heels (which took her ages to get used to walking in, and which hurt like hell). Looking at the mirror, she decided that this was as good as it was going to get, and walked out.

She arrived at the Igarashi building at ten to eight and waited. This was one of the things she hated about her job. The waiting part. Standing around, knowing she was out of place. Way, way out of her league. Not knowing the face of the person you were waiting for. But she had gotten better with time. Now she could usually tell who the client was just by the way they looked around. Minutes passed. At five past eight a limo pulled up and an attractive guy with chestnut hair got out. She was about to walk up to him, thinking that he was the client, when two giggling girls wearing skimpy dresses followed him out of the car. At this point Misaki was starting to get annoyed, she had already been waiting for almost twenty minutes. She was in the process of calling Satsuki to ask for the client's number when someone tapped her shoulder, surprising her into dropping her cellphone. Picking it up the sidewalk, she glared at the man who had made her drop her phone.

"Are you waiting for someone?" He didn't even apologize.

"Yes."

"Who?"

"I don't think that's any of your business," she retorted.

"Are you from MaId agency?" Damn, he was the client. He looked unpleasant (too much gel in his hair) and was rude. Why was this day going so wrong? "Yes," she nodded.

"I'm Koganei," He said. "You're Misa, right?" He didn't wait for an answer. "This is Miyabigaoka's first party of the year and I couldn't afford to come dateless. So keep your mouth shut and smile. Stay by me." He practically pulled her through the doors.

Miyabigaoka. Damn. Misaki's first choice of college. It had amazing facilities, the best tutors taught there. Being a graduate from there meant you had so many more chances, so many more choices. More doors opened. She had even gotten a scholarship there. But after much thought, Misaki knew she couldn't go there. She wouldn't have enough time to both work and keep her scholarship. And it was pretty far, transportation alone would have burned holes in her wallet.

Misaki sighed. It was one thing missing an opportunity. It was another going to that opportunity's party and seeing the lucky people there. Misaki dreaded this evening.

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><p>The interior of the building spelled elegance and richness. Deep, richly colored walls. A chandelier that was the size of her apartment hung from the ceiling, which had the most intricate paintings she'd ever seen. Every surface was polished, not one speck of dirt anywhere. Ambeint music was playing. Waiters carrying trays piled with flutes of champagne and canapés. Everyone there was dressed to the nines. The guys in seamlessly taliored suits and the girls wearing dresses that hung from every curve, accentuating, complimenting, shining, glittering. Dresses that looked like they cost 3 months' rent. Misaki began to feel woefully underdressed, out of place. She hoped the night would finish quickly.<p>

Time flies when you're having fun, so the opposite must be true. The night dragged on, seemingly endless, and Misaki's feet were starting to hurt because of those god-awful shoes. She had been by Koganei's side all evening, hanging on his arm, listening to the most inane subjects ever. He had flirted with girls (who looked at her once and deemed her unworthy of their attention) and drank so much champagne Misaki was surprised he was still standing. And then he had pulled her closer and began feeling her up, pushing his face in front of hers.

Misaki couldn't have been happier when eleven o' clock came, her part of the contract was done. She pried her arm away from him and walked away without saying anything. She could hear Koganei calling after her and wished he wouldn't run after her. This day being the definition of a Bad Day, she knew he would. She ran out of the doors and into the streets, sure that he would probably call Satsuki and that she would be in trouble. But she didn't care, she couldn't go back in there, not even to get her coat. All she could think about was getting somewhere she didn't have to hear the girl's snickers, see the knowing looks people sent her way. Feel those leech's hands on her. She shuddered at the memory. She had had to restrain herself from physically injuring him.

"YOU!" Aw, damn, this guy didn't know how to take a hint. She quickened her pace...Maybe if she ran into an alley or something?

She turned a corner and ran into something solid.

"Eek!" She fell backwards, closing her eyes, dreading the pain she was sure to feel when she hit the ground. After waiting a few seconds, she realised she wasn't falling anymore, and that she hadn't hit the ground yet. Strong arms were wrapped around her waist instead. Confused, she opened her eyes, and found herself staring into green, green orbs. "What th-" she spluttered.

"Watch where you're going," the guy said.

And Misaki got her biggest shock of the day. Out of all the people she could run into, she had to run into the blonde transfer student. She hoped that he wouldn't recognize her.

"Sorry," she apologized.

The moment dragged on, however, becoming awkward. "Could you please let go of me?" She looked pointedly at his arms. He was looking at her though, and didn't seem to register what she had said. "Do I know you?" He asked.

_Deny everything! _some part of her brain was shouting at her.

"No," Misaki shook her head, "could you please let go of me?"

He let go of her, still staring, his eyes narrowed in contemplation.

"I have one of those faces," she said, returning his stare, trying to look confident. Hoping to dispell any suspicions that might have arisen, vaguely aware she was making it worse. She hated her inability to lie. Well, lie convincingly.

_Shut up and run! _The intelligant lobe of her brain made a much needed reapperance.

Turning away, she mumbled her thanks, and got the hell away from there.

After getting back to the agency, apologizing to Satsuki (who was very understanding, considering that she'd literally _escaped _a client), changing, picking her stuff, getting back home, apologizing to Suzu for not calling and arguing with Suzu for not waking her up, Misaki was exhausted. She hadn't studied though, and her conscience wouldn't allow her to sleep without trying...

Thirty minutes later she was asleep, her head resting on an open book.

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><p>The next morning, Suzuna woke her up (arguing has its benefits). Thanking her sister, she got up and made her way to the bathroom. She had a headache from sleeping on her desk and her neck hurt like hell, but the hot water from the shower soothed her, woke her up. She dried her hair and bushed her teeth. Put on a skirt, shirt and matching socks (triumph!). Mentally planning the day, she decided to study in the library after her lectures were over and then visit her mom. Today was going to be a good day, she resolved.<p>

Her first lecture was English with Professor Takeda, a necessary course for any business major. Still, many of the students ditched because the lecture was early and there was no attendance taken. Misaki sat in the second row, waiting for the professor to show up.

"Good morning." A deep, velvety voice intoned. She looked up, and was surprised to see the transfer student slide into the seat next to her.

"Good morning." She replied.

"I saw you yesterday, didn't I?" he smirked knowingly.

She could feel her face redden and her heart speed up. "No," she denied.

"Don't you take statistics with Prof. Kanzaki?" Her heart began to slow down.

"Yes." she nodded.

"I'm Usui Takumi, you…?"

"I'm Misaki Ayuzawa," she smiled.

"Well, Ayuzawa, I know that this is none of my business, but is it a habit of yours to run around alleys at 12 every night?"

Her heart stopped beating.

"Excuse me?" she managed to ask in a very weak voice. Her breath had literally been knocked out of her. "What?"

"You heard me," he said confidently, "why were you running away last night? I know I saw you."

"I…I don't have to answer that. Like you said, it's none of your business." She looked away.

"What do you have to do with Miyabigaoka?" he prodded.

"I-"

Fortunately, the professor walked in that moment. She let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding.

After the lecture finished, Misaki practically flew out the hall. Damn, she had to avoid this guy. Hopefully for the next few years.

And she did. She avoided Usui successfully all day, sitting away from him in the lectures they shared and hiding in the library the rest of the time. She was relived when the day ended, sure that he would go home or something. She stayed and studied in the library until it was dark outside. Sighing, she looked at her watch, grimacing when she saw the time. She'd have to beg the nurses to let her see her mom. Picking up her bag, she made her way through the doors. She stopped mid-step when she saw a guy leaning against the wall. A guy with golden strands of hair covering his eyes and a cigarette between his lips. She cursed her luck again. Out of all the people in the college she could've run into, she just _had _to run into the most unrelentless guys there.

She walked quickly past him. Maybe he wasn't waiting for her, maybe he was waiting for someone else…

"Misaki!"

_Oh, shit._

"What do you want from me?" she asked, exasperated.

"I want to know what you were doing in the Igarashi building last night," he said, walking closer.

Inspiration struck.

"The funny thing, Takumi, is that I could ask you the same question. What were _you _doing there last night?" She retorted, looking up at him. "Why are you so interested, anyway?" She wondered aloud.

"Plain curiosity," he smirked. "Seika and Migaboki don't mix. And I wasn't the one in the party dress, so you have no proof that I was there...unless you saw me, or something." His smirk grew wider, more self-satisfied. She got an almost uncontrollable urge to punch it off his face.

She sighed. "Look, it isn't any of your business. Leave me alone." She walked away.

He waited for a few minutes and then followed her silently.

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><p>He hadn't wanted to go to the party last night, but had gone because he knew Igarashi would tell his brother and then his brother would tell their "father" and their father would probably get upset that Usui "wasn't making business contacts and that if he wanted to be part of the Walker family then he'd have to start pulling his weight and…" Basically, one night of absolute boredom was worth saving his ears a month of pain.<p>

He was standing by the wall, listening to Tora drone on and on about his father's company when he saw her. Black dress, heels, her hair done up and an expression of pure distaste on her face. And he knew he had seen her earlier that day in Seika. Was his father having her tail him around? She was failing miserably if she was.

Shaking his head, he decided he'd heard enough about the state of the stock market and told Tora that he'd call him soon. He sighed in relief when he got out of there. Fake, insincere people trying to take advantage of each other. He hated them all. Wandering into an alley, he pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it, and was about to raise it to his lips when something very fast slammed into him.

Her.

Reflexively, his arms wrapped around her to stop her fall. The cigarette drifted to the ground, forgotten.

She opened her eyes. And he felt his breath hitch.

She had amazing eyes, the color of pure honey. A blush crept along her cheeks. She was saying something, but he couldn't concentrate.

"Do I know you?" He asked. If she wasn't working for his father, she'd be honest.

"No." She was lying. "Could you please let go of me?"

He realized he'd been holding her all this time and quickly let go of her.

"I have one of those faces," she said. She really was a terrible liar. His father would never hire someone so...honest?

She mumbled something incoherent and ran off.

He smirked at her retreating figure. Maybe Seika wouldn't be as dull as he had first imagined.

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><p>She was complicated. From what he could see in class, she was intelligent, hardworking. She didn't talk to any guys, he noticed. Only to ask about notes and such, but she didn't flirt. Girls flocked around her, she seemed to be a big-sister-figure or something. She had a temper. Went to the hospital at odd times in the night. Drank champagne at high end parties. He couldn't figure her out. Why was she at that party last night? <em>Did<em> his father send her? Maybe her boyfriend went there. He shook his head at this thought, there was no way that guy was her boyfriend. They had barely spoken with each other all night, except for when that guy publically groped her.

_Who was she?_

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><p>Half an hour later, he saw her shuffling out of the hospital, her head hanging down. He caught up with her.<p>

"Misaki?" He called.

"You do know that stalking is illegal, don't you?" she asked in a humorless voice.

"What's wrong?" He asked, suddenly concerned. She seemed..._lifeless._ As if she had aged a couple of years in the past few minutes.

She looked up at him, tears threatening to spill from her eyes, "you really won't leave me alone, will you?"

He was silent, he didn't know what to say.

"Fine," she said, taking his silence as an affirmative.

"My mom's in there," she began, pointing to the hospital. "She's been there for almost three years. She's dying. She's getting more and more _sick_," her voice broke on the last word. "My father decided that a sick wife and two girls were too much to deal with, so he ran off. And, well, someone has to pay the bills right?"

Usui just stared at her. "Mis-"

"I'm an escort, Takumi. That asshole asked for me last night so I went to that stupid party. Happy now?"

She stalked off. He didn't follow, respecting her unspoken plea for him to leave her alone.

Well, for the time being.

Honest.

Responsible.

Friendly.

Biased.

False.

A fraud.

Desperate.

She was a puzzle.

_He'd figure her out._

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><p>done with chapter 3 :) I hope it's good. I read some of the fics here, and I realise more and more how amateur-ish my writing is. Like, I shouldn't even try...anyway, a Biiiiiiiiiiiiiig thanks to everyone who's reading this...won't you please review too? You'd be the best if you do!<p>

enjoy the rest of your day

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><p>so I'm not that imagnative. I got the escort idea from Sapphirefly's Whenever You Want...a good read, please read it!<p>

that reminds me: of course I don't own KWMS. Just an obsessed fan ;)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

**Façade**

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><p>Misaki hated hospitals. The stifling scent of disinfectant that did nothing to hide the putrid smell of sickness, body fluids and dying flesh in the wards. The sadness that dampened the atmosphere, occasionally punctuated by sharp, inappropriate laughs from the medical staff. The bright lights that made it almost impossible to distinguish night from day, the only indication of the passage of time being the constantly rotating faces. The expectancy in the air; people waiting for death to welcome them into it's cold, eternal embrace, others waiting for new life, for hope, to be born.<p>

She had been on her way to her mom's room when one of the nurses stopped her. "The doctor wants to talk to you, Misaki."

Something was wrong.

Doctors never "wanted to talk" if everything was fine.

She'd walked into the doctor's office in a daze. "Please sit down, Miss Ayuzawa."

She sat down.

_Mom._

"Miss Ayuzawa?" The bespectacled doctor tried to catch her attention.

"Sorry, doctor. What did you say?" Misaki looked at him.

_Focus_.

He was sitting down at his desk, an apologetic look on his face. Not good.

"As I was saying, your mother needs surgery…we talked about this before, remember?"

Misaki nodded. Her mother refused to have the surgery done last time, saying it was to expensive, insisting she was fine.

She wasn't fine.

She hadn't been fine in a long time.

* * *

><p><em>Senior year<em>

* * *

><p>Blue skies, the sun shining brightly, children's laughter in the air. The day her mom had gone to hospital had started out normally, a nice day even. It had been a Sunday. Her dad had been at the breakfast table with them for once, talking, laughing, making jokes. Her mom had been smiling. Suzu had made pancakes. The beginning of a perfect day. The kind of day that you didn't expect anything bad would happen, the kind of day that tragedy avoided.<p>

After breakfast, Misaki had volunteered to wash the dishes, but Minako had shooed her away, telling her to go study, do her Student Council work. Misaki hugged her mom in thanks, and had begun to make her way to the stairs when she felt it. The sudden clenching of her gut, the sudden falter of her heartbeat. And then she heard it. A dull thud, followed by the sound of breaking glass. She had run into the kitchen and found her mom on the floor.

Pale.

Lifeless.

Time slowed down those few seconds, and every detail was crystal clear, sharp as knives. The way the shards of the glass Minako had been washing were glinting in harsh sunlight. The sound of running water. The smell of pancakes that still hung in the air. The soap suds on her mom's hands.

Her mom.

She fell on the floor beside her, and for a moment was afraid to touch her mother, was afraid to feel cold skin.

_No, no, no. This isn't happening. You have to be okay. You were okay a minute ago. Get back up. You can't leave us. You can't leave me. _

She still remembered the relief that washed over her when she felt a pulse, weak, thready. But still there.

She had shouted for Suzuna to call an ambulance quickly, that their mom was sick. Suzu had come crashing down the stairs, and had come to a sudden stop in front of the kitchen door. It had terrified Misaki to see her stoic sister so scared.

"Call the ambulance NOW Suzuna!" She'd screamed at Suzuna, startling her to action.

Their father had come rushing into the kitchen while Suzu was dialing. A look of abject fear, of horror, of complete and utter loss crossed his face when he saw his wife sprawled on the floor. A look that disappeared momentarily, however it was etched forever in Misaki's mind. It was that look that prevented her from hating him, no matter how hard she tried. In that look she saw all the love he felt for her mother. How lost he'd been without her. That look haunted her.

The ambulance had arrived 10 minutes after Suzuna had called. Her mother had been checked by the paramedics, lifted into the vehicle, and driven to the hospital. Not one word was spoken by the Ayuzawa family that whole time.

Hospital admission…X-rays, blood samples, aspirations…countless machines attached to her mother, beeping along with Minako's heart beat. Day, night. Day. Monday. School.

"_Go do your homework Misaki," her mother had smiled, "I'm not that old, I think I can still do dishes. Anyway, weren't you talking about that school festival coming up?"_

Then the worst moment of all. The doctor had asked their father to step inside his office for a while. Their father had refused, saying that the girls need to know what happened to their mother, something she'd appreciated. The doctor had sighed, defeated.

"Your wife has…well… she has adenocarcinoma, Mr. Ayuzawa. It's a type of lung cancer."

And that's when Misaki's world stopped.

Cancer.

Cancer.

This didn't happen in real life, not to real people.

Cancer.

Movies, TV shows, yes. Something dramatic to help draw more viewers in. The hero/heroine's mother/father gets cancer and their mentor/problematic family member/love interest helps them sort their emotions out.

But in real life?

No.

No.

No.

_No._

The doctor went on, explaining all the different medical and surgical procedures available, but she could barely hear him over the rush of thoughts running through her mind. Yes, her mother had always been sickly, coughing when the air was too humid or when she worked to hard, but she'd been _fine. _

"…surgical removal is the best option, in my opinion." The doctor finished.

Their father had been really quiet until this point.

"Surgery?" He'd asked, in a low, hushed voice.

"Yes." The doctor had nodded. "Chemotherapy might be needed, but we'd like to try to stop the tumor's spread at first. I'll talk to you about the risks involved, naturally," he'd looked pointedly at the girls then, "in my office."

Their father had acquiesced this time, telling the girls that he'd be right back.

Half an hour later, their father had walked out the doctor's office, shoulders slumped in defeat. "Girls, I'm going to talk with your mother. Stay here."

When they went to see their mother later that night, she'd been smiling sadly, tear tracks standing out against her still-pale skin. "Its okay, Misa, Suzu. I'm fine, sweethearts, there's no need to cry."

Misaki hadn't even felt the tears running down her face until her mom wiped them away.

"It's okay," Minako repeated. "The doctor gave me some medicine and said I'd be able to get out of here in a week."

"What about the surgery?" Misaki had asked, voice shaking.

"I can live without the surgery." Their mom had laughed.

A week later, their mom was released from the hospital.

A month later, everything was back to normal.

As normal as could be, considering Minako was ill and lying to her daughter's faces about it. Misaki and Suzuna knew the truth. Their father had lost so, so much money gambling. That even though their mom _needed_ the surgery there was no way it could be done. So they just pretended. Pretended that everything was okay. Pretended despite the underlying tension running throughout the house.

Everyone keeping secrets. Everyone trying to keep up the façade of a happy, healthy family. Even though their mother was getting thinner and thinner. Even though their dad _still_ spent hours and hours on online casinos, trying to win back any money and losing so much more. Even though Suzu, who was already antisocial to a degree, was falling deeper and deeper into depression. Even though Misaki was doing her best to try and keep her family afloat, getting a job in a café, paying the bills.

And then it happened. After three tortuously slow, long months of lies and deceit, it happened. They woke up one morning and their dad was gone. None of his clothes hanging in his closet. No money _anywhere_. He'd taken everything and disappeared. It was almost a relief, actully. No more pretenses.

Their mom had tried to convince them that he'd come back, that he'd gone a work trip, a vacation, a… but Misaki knew the truth. He couldn't handle it any more. Couldn't handle the stress, couldn't handle the responsibility. He just opened the door and left. The thing that scared Misaki the most was that the same thought had crossed her mind a few times.

Refusing to be like her father, give up and go, Misaki got another job at a library, even though her mother insisted that she was able to work.

She looked around for a cheaper place to stay in because the rent was too high.

And everything was fine for a while. She and Suzu had to change schools, money was tight, but everything was _better_. No more secrets, no more lies.

* * *

><p><em>Lot of knots, lot of snags,<em>  
><em>lot of holes, lot of cracks lot of crags. Lot of naggin' old hags,<em>  
><em>lot of fools, lot of fool scum bags.<em>  
><em>Oh it's such a drag, what a chore... oh your wounds are full of salt.<em>  
><em>Everything's a stress and what's more, well it's all somebody's fault.<em>

__(Hey!) Get, get, get, get, get over it!__

__(Hey!) Get, get, get, get, get over it!__

___(Hey!) Get, get, get, get, get over it!___

_Get over it, get over it._

* * *

><p>High school, college entrance exams, getting accepted to some of the best universities of the country. Some of the most expensive ones.<p>

Disappointment.

Resentment.

Acceptance.

Going to Seika.

* * *

><p><em>Makes you sick, makes you ill,<em>  
><em>makes you cheat, slipping change from the till.<em>  
><em>Had it up to the gills... makes you cry while<em>  
><em>the milk still spills. Ain't it just a bitch? What a pain...<em>  
><em>Well it's all a crying shame. What<em>  
><em>left to do but complain? Better find someone to blame.<em>

__(Hey!) Get, get, get, get, get over it!__

__(Hey!) Get, get, get, get, get over it!__

___(Hey!) Get, get, get, get, get over it!___

_Get over it, get over it._

* * *

><p>Their mom having a relapse.<p>

The hospital again.

Metatastisis. The tumor had spread.

Chemotherapy.

No money, no money.

MaId Agency.

Money.

Sophomore year.

Their mother getting sicker.

* * *

><p><em>The present<em>

* * *

><p>"As I was saying, your mother needs surgery…we talked about this before, remember?"<p>

Misaki nodded, "yes."

* * *

><p>The surgery was expensive, and even though their health insurance covered some of the costs, it was still to expensive. And it was <em>September<em>. Not many people wanted escorts in September, and even if they did, no one wanted a scrawny college girl. Misaki sighed, pulling her coat tighter around her.

Too add to all of her troubles, Usui had insisted on knowing what she was doing at the party last night. After talking with the doctor, Misaki was confused, dejected. Not in the mood for mind games. So she'd snapped and told him everything. All her secrets.

She quickened her pace. She could only hope he wouldn't tell anyone. She dreaded college tommorow. If they found out, well,...

It was one more problem she didn't need.

* * *

><p>AN: chapter 3, everyone! a HUGE thanks to: DeathBySugarCube (cool name btw:), Z-chan (I'll try to minimize the errors even more! thanks), gamma-rae-star (this is soon, right?), Ayu-saka (thanks! The mistakes though...I'll do my best!), yuukuzuri (I hope I get better. My english is mediocire at best and getting worse.), Kristina (THANKS! ;) and Misusui (wow. I have a writing style?) ...u guys rock :)

...so? was this chapter okay? Not enough Usui-Misaki interaction, I know, but I wanted to make Misaki's motivation for telling Usui in the last chapter more clear...? I guess...? Did it work? _Are _four chapters character-building too much?

review, please! criticize! if you find any mistakes, point them out!

...the song is OK GO's Get Over It...

Enjoy the rest of your day!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

**Observation**

* * *

><p>"…and he's so cute! I heard he doesn't have a girlfriend."<p>

"Yea…I heard he's a heartbreaker. Kari asked him out and he turned her down. Harshly, I heard. She was crying for _days_."

"No way! But, ah… come on, it was _Kari_… He's kinda out of her league…"

"I know! But she still…"

Usui turned up the volume of his iPod, raising it so loud that the music almost hurt his ears. He could still hear the girls' high pitched tones though. Their conversation…no, their gossiping was annoying him.

Their superficiality disgusted him.

He'd came all the way across campus to find a place where he could sit down without having thirty different people blatantly stare at him, where he could be alone, and now it seemed that even the heavily densed trees near the football field wouldn't hide him. What, was there no escape?

God, was _everywhere_ the same? The same girls vying for his attention, the same guys standing in awe of him, the same tutors, jealous of his brilliance, trying their best to out-do him?

Supercilious.

Superficial.

Fake.

Unoriginal.

He kept meeting the same people over and over again.

Boredom.

He sighed deeply. There _was_ no way out.

This _was_ the _only_ way out.

If he gave up on Seika, there was a job lined up for him. Working for the Walkers. No, thank you.

"Hey, Misaki!" one of the girls called out.

Usui perked up. Well, well, well.

Misaki Ayuzawa.

The most interesting thing here.

She'd been avoiding him. Ever since that night, the night she'd told him everything, she'd been avoiding him like the plague. Two weeks without a single word. Barely a glance. Which was quite impressive really, considering the number of classes they shared. _And_ the fact that he followed her almost everywhere.

He knew she knew he was following her. Stalking her, almost. But she didn't do anything. With her temper, he'd been expecting her to explode by the third day. He smiled. She was constantly surprising him.

She really was the most interesting thing here. She didn't talk with a lot of people, and most of them were girls. Her friends mostly, the girl with the ridiculous pigtails and the other with the thick glasses. No boyfriend. No boys, actually. His first assumption still seemed to hold true. Loner. Over-achiever. Hated men. But, knowing her story now, he was beginning to admire her. Working to support her family, and still trying hard in college. Honest. For the most part. He'd never have guessed that she'd be an escort. From what he saw, escorts were usually long limbed, busty, with flirtatious smiles and seductive eyes. Not that she wasn't good-looking, she was pretty enough, with raven black hair and clear, honey colored eyes. And her smile. He'd seen her smiling once, at Pigtails. It had knocked the breath out of him.

Well.

He was wondering how long it'd be before she cracked and talked to him. Scream at him, if he'd read her right. His bet was probably at the end of this week.

Of course, that had been his bet last week.

Maybe it was time to speed things along.

* * *

><p><em>I can remember now<em>  
><em>My eyes are opening<em>  
><em>For the first time in my life<em>  
><em>My eyes are open-ing!<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Beep<strong>. **Beep**.

She knew she shouldn't check her phone during work hours, but she didn't get a lot of messages. Usually people called. What if it was Suzu…? What if…?

Opening her inbox, Misaki sighed in relief.

Satsuki, not Suzu.

_8 pm, Café Latte (the one we all went to that one night!), dress casual (skirt+shirt), 200, 2 hours._

Finally! A client had finally, _finally _asked for her.

_Yes!_

Misaki practically danced to the counter.

"Someone's happy today. Your boyfriend finally called?" her boss (well, _other _boss) asked.

"Happy, yes. Boyfriend, no. Is that the only reason girls have to be happy? Boys?"

"Boys, shopping and shiny things," he joked, "Table 6." He handed her a tray.

Misaki had to suppress the urge to stick her tongue out at him.

She'd finally convinced her mom to get the surgery two weeks ago, and was now trying to gather up enough money for it. With barely enough money to pay the bills, Misaki had to get another job. MaId Agency paid well, but it was an off month. She'd had to beg her old boss to give her a job at the café.

Sigh.

It was like every time she'd finally gotten one step ahead she'd have to take three steps back.

Ever since that Miyabigaoka fiasco, she'd only been out with a client once. _Once_. He didn't even pay all that well. Miyabigaoka…Takumi…she shook her head vehemently, trying to stop that train of thought, but once it started, it wouldn't slow down.

Usui.

What the hell was that guy's issue? Was he _trying _to annoy her to death? He'd left her alone that night at the hospital, and even though she'd never admit it to anyone, it had felt good to unload. All that stress had been getting to her. But she'd also been afraid, almost terrified he'd tell. That everyone would know the next day.

But he didn't.

She'd felt relief, followed quickly by something akin to anger. Shame.

He pitied her.

Oh well.

At least he hadn't told anyone.

And then, she didn't know what to think. He was everywhere. _Everywhere_. He was following her. If she had a class, he'd be in the seat across from her. If she was in the cafeteria, he'd be behind her in line. It had got to the point where she half-expected him to be in the ladies room, in the stall next to her. What did he want from her? Gratitude? A bribe?

He wouldn't say anything to her, just stare. Intensely. She was almost scared to talk to him. What if he asked for a bribe? What if he asked for…? ..._Blush…_No way. What if she beat him up? Threatened him? That might backfire horribly, she'd thought. After three days of enduring the lasers he sent her way and the thoughts running through her mind, she decided to ignore him. Maybe he'd take the hint.

It didn't work.

If it was like this 'til the end of the week, then…she grinned evilly…well, she'd tried being good.

The person who said that 'violence doesn't solve everything' didn't know what he was talking about.

* * *

><p><em>Paper bag<em>  
><em>You're punching holes<em>  
><em>Fit a parade into<em>  
><em>Finish line<em>  
><em>Where you stand<em>  
><em>And you ask me to race with you<em>

* * *

><p>She arrived at Café Latte at quarter to eight, and got a seat by the door. She was still slightly confused. <em>'Café Latte, dress casual'<em>. When you got an escort, it was usually for high-end affairs…parties, dinners,… not for coffee. Either the guy had so much money he didn't know what to do with, or was socially inept. Misaki wagered he'd be both.

She had to admit, she wasn't complaining. The Café was warm, cozy.

She inhaled the deep scent of freshly brewed coffee. Working at a café all day hadn't diminished her love of the smell. It was therapeutic.

She'd been here once with Satsuki and everyone. Satsuki had wanted them to 'feel more like a family'. Misaki smiled, the memory flashing through her mind. She finally gotten to know the other girls, and they seemed nice enough. Satsuki, even though she was their manager, had this childish, naïve air about her (proven by the fact that she wanted them to be like family…what boss did that?). Erica, who she already knew (kinda), was (surprisingly) a grad student; she'd graduated from Seika two years before. Subaru, who Misaki had seen around the agency, and who apparently wore glasses when she wasn't working, needed the job to pay the bills, as did Honoka, who intimidated Misaki somewhat (she gave Misaki the feeling that she'd been tried, weighed and found lacking).

The door chimed open, disturbing her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see who walked in.

Shock.

Surprise.

...

There was no word to describe how she felt at that moment.

...

It was Takumi.

And he was sliding into the chair opposite hers.

"Hey," he grinned.

Uh-uh. Nope.

She pushed herself off her chair and was about to walk away when he caught her wrist.

"It's very rude to walk out on a _client_, Misa. You just might get fired if someone filed a complaint."

He actually did it, didn't he? Misaki couldn't believe the suspicions that arouse when he walked through the door were true.

He'd hired her.

He was the fucking_ client_.

"I didn't get fired last time," she shot back, her mind finally coming up with something coherent, "what do you want, Takumi? I'm sick and tired of your mind games. Do you want me thank you for not telling anyone? Do you want me to beg? Do you want money? Because I can tell you right now that-"

"Wait," he interrupted her tirade, "calm down. Have a seat. I just want to talk."

"We're talking."

"Look, I'm paying 100 an hour. The least you could do is sit down. Please_._" His verdant eyes were pleading.

"Fine." She sighed. She sat down. "Make this quick."

"Would you like anything?" he asked.

"Would I like anything? I'd like you to leave me the hell alone."

"No, what I meant was, do you want to order yet?" he said, pointing at the confused waitress who'd come up to their table.

"Um, ah…Not yet, thanks." She blushed, embarrassed. This guy distracted her, she couldn't concentrate when he was around.

"Thanks," He grinned up at the waitress, a lop-sided grin that had the poor girl blushing, "we'll order later."

The waitress turned away dazedly.

"Do you flirt that shamelessly with everyone?" The thought just slipped out.

His grin widened, "jealous?"

She shook her head, "not at all."

"Ouch!" He put his hand over his chest, "You wound me. And here I thought you'd fallen for my charms."

She found a smile unwittingly pulling at her lips.

_Misaki! Focus! _

She forced her lips into a firm line, "so, talk."

"I thought that that's what we were doing."

God, he was so irritating!

He began laughing.

"What?" she glared at him, annoyed.

"You have the most fascinating expressions. Everything's written on your face."

She rolled her eyes.

"_You're so frustrating_," he said in a high-pitched tone, imitating her.

"What, you're a mind reader now?"

"Well, you were practically broadcasting that thought."

"So you got the not-to-subtle hint? You'll leave me alone?" she said hopefully.

"I find you way too interesting."

"Interesting? Is this a game or something?"

"I don't know." He was suddenly serious, his emerald eyes losing their playfulness. Gazing intently at her.

"Ah… I…" She could feel herself blush under the ferocity of his gaze.

"Excuse me? Sir? Miss?" The waitress had come back, dispersing the tension that had built up out of nowhere, it seemed.

He turned to look at the source of the interruption. Misaki exhaled.

She didn't like this. With one look, he seemed to see right through her. Through all the walls she'd built up. Through her defenses.

"And you, miss?" the waitress asked, turning to look at her.

"Um…A glass of water?"

The waitress nodded. "Anything else?"

Misaki shook her head.

"I'll be right back."

"Nothing to eat? You skipped lunch," Usui observed.

Misaki glanced at him warily, almost afraid to look at him, at those eyes, but was relived to see that he seemed to be smirking.

"And you know this because…?" she retorted.

"I know many things, Misa. I _observe _my surroundings. I notice. For example, I also know that you work at The Corner Coffee Shop." His smirk grew more pronounced.

"So you're basically stalking me?"

"It's not my fault the café's on my way home."

The waitress came back carrying a tray. She placed a glass of water in front of Misaki and a slice of cheesecake and cup of tea in front of Usui, and walked away.

"Why can't you ever give a straight answer?"

"Then it wouldn't be any fun," he said, his eyes widening innocently.

Misaki sighed, taking a sip of water. She looked at the cars moving on the street outside the window, the people inside probably driving home.

This was getting her nowhere. A complete waste of her time. She had homework to do. Exams coming up. She could've visited her mom. Instead she'd spent the last… she looked at the wall clock…half hour…with the most exasperating person on the face of the planet.

She looked over at him, and surprise, surprise. He was staring at her.

"Here," he said, pushing the slice of cake towards her. "Eat."

"Wha…?"

"You haven't eaten anything all day," he stated.

"I'm not hungry."

"You'll faint from exhaustion of you don't eat. Your body can't handle both no sleep _and _no food."

Misaki started to ask, "how…?"

"You've got dark circles under your eyes. You look tired," an idea seemed to strike him, "if I actually were a client, I'd send you back the second I saw you."

That got to her. One of her weak points was her work ethic.

"Eat, or else I'll feed you," he smirked.

"Fine," Misaki muttered, blushing in spite of herself.

She ate the cake wordlessly (she had to admit it was delicious), and Usui sipped his tea.

After she finished, Usui called the waitress over. He pulled out some money to pay the bill but Misaki stopped him, "what do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing Misa?" he drawled, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "I'm paying the bill."

Misaki grabbed a few bills from her purse. "I don't want to be in your debt," she said, bluntly.

"You wouldn't be in my debt."

"Yes, I would."

"No, you wouldn't"

"Yes, I…seriously? What are we in, 5th grade? I'm paying for my stuff, you'll pay for yours," she said, decisively.

Takumi grinned, "fine," echoing her from earlier.

A few minutes later, they were out on the street.

"Well, that was loads of fun," Usui stated, laughter weaving through his words, "since I've got another hour with you, what do you want to do?"

"Go home."

"Okay," a wicked grin, "but aren't we taking this a bit too fast, darling? Not that I'm complaining or anything, it's just..."

Her mouth dropped open, "You...you...argh...you pervert! You know what I meant!"

"How am I meant to know what you mean? I'm _not _a mind reader." His grin widened.

_200, 200._

_Don't punch the client._

_Just one more hour. _

Misaki mentally counted to ten, sighed, and looked up at him.

"You're tiring to be around, you know?"

"So I've been told."

Misaki sighed again, "One more hour. What do you want to do?"

Usui laughed, "How about a walk in the park then? Let's swing!"

He caught her hand and pulled her into a run before she could protest.

* * *

><p><em>But all of this discussion<em>  
><em>Why all this discussion?<em>  
><em>I'm going some place I have never been before<em>  
><em>I wish you'd just stop talking<em>

* * *

><p>"So you were Student Council President in high school?"<p>

She looked up at him. They'd run all the way to a park near the café, and she was currently on a swing, twisting the cords round and round like she used to do when she was in grade school, Usui leaning against the swing set. Autumn had set in, the warmth of summer had evaporated, and the air was crisp. The leaves were dancing in the cold wind, the crickets chirping. It was eerie. Surprisingly calm. It reminded her of childhood, of better days.

"Let me guess…Observing?" she asked.

"No, actually. I asked one of the guys about you. Turns out he was in the same high school. He said you were a nightmare."

She had to smile at this, "I just made sure work got done."

"You once pulled an earring out of a guy's ear? He had to get stitches done?"

"That's an exaggeration. Bleeding, but no stitches."

He laughed, "Not a huge exaggeration, then." He glanced down at her, "you're amazing."

"No," she shook her head, "I was doing my job, the guy was going against school rules."

"Can't you take a compliment?" He asked, genuinely, it seemed.

"When it's due, I can, I guess. You can't compliment someone on doing their work."

"I can see why you were a nightmare. Did you get along with the rest of the council? Never complimenting them for doing their work?"

"I did! When they deserved it!"

"Really?" He didn't seem to believe her.

Her phone beeped.

Misaki pushed herself off the swing, relieved. "Our two hours are over."

"Running away?" He straightened up.

"Going home."

"I'll walk you."

"No way. I've had enough mind-games for one day, thanks. Anyway, you know way too much about me already, there's no need to add where I live to that long list."

"It's late."

"I'll manage." She began walking away.

"I insist," he followed.

"Don't you have anyone else to irritate?"

"I enjoy your company."

"I don't enjoy yours."

She walked in silence for a few steps, then suddenly turned around, stalked over to him, "what do you want from me? And I want a straight answer, don't try distracting me."

He came closer to her, invading her personal space, "If you insist," his green eyes darkened, "I want," his pushed her chin up, staring directly at her, "you."

And he kissed her.

* * *

><p><em>Is it a good time now?<em>  
><em>A new voice comes answering<em>  
><em>I let you get your breath<em>  
><em>before we forget what's happening!<em>

* * *

><p>AN: It's terrible, I know. I'm mentally kicking myself. Where did I get this crap from? Ugh.

I feel the pacing of the story is completely off...Dialouge's wonky...I'm annoyed by this chapter, really.

The song in this chapter is Your Eyes Are Liars-Sound Team. Don't own that, just like I don't own KWMS...

Thanks to:

Ayu-saka: Thank you! I tried making sure that there were no mistakes, hope there aren't any in this chapter too...thanks :)

XEnimsaJX: ta-da! update!

gamma-rae-star: I didn't notice that Misaki was subdued until you wrote that! But then I read back and yep, she was...um, I guess I was trying to keep everything...realistic? I guess...but I'll make sure to explore that angle of her personality...and u guessed right =) rented her+pushed her buttons...but you weren't expecting a kiss so soon, were u? }=) ..._Were _the interactions believable? I'm not sure.

LittleSnowDancer: I fixed the names (stupid mistakes, I know) "Aoi" I just realized I got wrong, and "Miyabigaoka" (I got it wrong in the first chapter. But look at it! It's a hard word!) thanks for correcting me :)

DeathBySugarCube: the one with the awesome name...Thank you!...You really hated her father? I don't know...I have this philosophy that everyone has a motive for doing something, even if it's awful and doesn't make sense to others...no one does anything to for the sake of being evil or mean (does that make any sense?)...so I wrote it like that...anyway, hope that you like this chapter :D

Thanks to anyone who read this...Can you please review too? Criticize? If there are any mistakes point them out, if the timing's off or whatever.

Enjoy the rest of your day!

-I need a beta, how do you get one?


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